Another In Stepps STAR!

Hi Everyone!
It's that time again.... time to honor another amazing In Stepps team member.

Meet Jasmine!

Here is what  few of the people lucky enough to work with Jasmine have to say about her...

From Nicole H.:
Let me just start off with how incredibly fun Jasmine is!  Jasmine has the most amazing play ideas, whether it's "pretend driving" to the "beach" while using the family's dining set as a car, building a "tent" with blankets and chairs and "roasting marshmallows", or having dance parties in the living room, Jasmine makes every session fun and puts her heart and soul into it.  Her energy and effervescent personality make every session fly by.  I have had families comment that on the rare occasion that Jasmine misses a session, that they "miss her so much" and "can't wait to see her!" (I'm referring to entire families here, not just her kiddos!)  She builds the highest level of rapport with her clients and their families and it's amazing and heartwarming to see in action.  Jasmine applies feedback to her work promptly and eagerly and asks insightful questions, she always wants to learn more about the field of ABA and it's such a pleasure to work with her. She is so dependable, always collects data, and steps up to the plate to help cover sessions whenever she can.  I look forward to every session I'm scheduled to supervise Jasmine and I feel incredibly lucky to be on teams with her!!

From Kimberly: Jasmine has the unique ability to bring a positive, upbeat, and optimistic attitude to everything that she does. She is passionate about teaching and working with children. She is an asset to every team she is on. Thank you for all your hard work, Jasmine!

From Elise:
Jasmine is such a joy to work with. Her always positive attitude shines so brightly and is contagious to not only the kids she works with but to the parents and her co workers as well! She is so flexible and always stepping up to help out- even if that puts her out with inconvenience! And she's just so fun! One family even has been known to set a count down timer until she gets there! I truly treasure Jasmine and her creative ideas!

From Nicole F.:
Jasmine is an absolute joy to work with!  She has progressed so much in her skills in a short period of time.  She brings great energy to the table and is a huge asset to In S.T.E.P.P.S.  I love her spirit and her motivation to learn!
 
And a very special message about Jasmine from an In Stepps parent: 
Jasmine is a very dedicated and motivated individual and has passion with what she does. She knows how to read kids and go with their motivation. She's made learning for our child fun. She can redirect him without causing a tantrum and takes control of any situation that might come up.

Way to go, Jasmine! We feel so honored to have you as part of the In Stepps team! Your dedication, enthusiasm, flexibility, and energy are just a few of the qualities that make you such a rock STAR! Thank you for all you do for your families and kiddos and for all the fun you have every day. You truly are a STEP above!

New California Car Seat Law

Did you know there is a new car seat law in California?

From the CHP website:

Effective January 1, 2012

Children under the age of 8
*OR*
under 4 feet 9 inches in height must be secured in a car seat or booster seat.
Additionally, children under age 8 must be secured in the back seat.

If you're not confident of how to properly secure your child in a safety seat, contact your local CHP Area Office, and set up an appointment for a lesson.

For more information or to find your local CHP Area office: http://www.chp.ca.gov/community/safeseat.html

CalABA Parent Conference Information

Check out the flyer and registration form for the CalABA Parent Conference. Will you be attending this awesome event?
*If you would like the printable PDF version of this form please email us at info@instepps.com or comment below with your email address.

Helping Your Children Achieve Their Potential

Another amazing opportunity for Orange County families! During the 3-day CalABA conference, a special one-day conference for parents will be presented. There will be tons of great topics such as behavior management, social skills, and positive strategies as well as important information regarding insurance and IEP's. Please consider attending and let us know how it goes! Event information:    Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012 Helping Your Children Achieve Their Potential by Using Behavior Analysis in the Home Accessing Insurance For In-Home ABA Programs Obtaining Appropriate Educational Services Location: Hyatt Regency Orange County (same location as the main 3-day conference). Time: Check-in: 8am - 9am. Welcome and Presentations: 9am - 5pm. Fees: $30. For registration information and questions please contact CalABA Conference Committee member Junelyn Lazo Pearson at junie@behavioralsciencesinc.com

TOPICS	PRESENTERS
Improving Communication and Social Interactions	James Partington, PhD, BCBA-D
Positive Strategies and Motivators to Encourage Good Behavior	Michele Wallace, PhD, BCBA-D
Preventing Temper Tantrums and Other Challenging Behaviors	G. Roy Mayer, EdD, BCBA-D
Obtaining Insurance Coverage for Your Child's Services	Gina Green, PhD, BCBA-D Scott Glovsky, JD Feda Almaliti, Parent and Advocate
Accessing Appropriate Educational Services for my Child Through the School's IEP Process	Terry Tibbetts, JD, PhD, BCBA-D Maureen Graves, JD Hedy Hansen, Parent

Aging with Autism

Happy Friday, everyone!

Do you have a child with autism? Do you worry about their development? Do you have fears about their future and the impact it will have on your family? If so, then please consider attending the Grandparent Autism Network's 6th Annual Autism Research Conference. This is a great opportunity for families in the Orange County area!

 Dr. Marsha Mailick Seltzer, a leading expert in aging with autism, will be the featured speaker at the conference. Dr. Seltzer is the director of the Waisman Center at the University of Wisconsin.

Conference Information:
Date: Saturday, January 21, 2012
Time: 9 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Location: Mariners Church - Worship Center in Irvine.
Ticket information: $20 per person
For more information or to purchase tickets please go to http://ganinfo.org/events/

Happy New Year, Indeed!

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.- Winston Churchill

Phew! What a busy holiday season we had at In Stepps! Is it really over?! Are we really in 2012?! Hard to believe... but we made it! We hope that you and your family had a wonderful holiday and a very happy new year.

Hopefully you didn't miss us in our "blog absence" during the month of December. But if you did, don't worry... we will make it up to you! You see, we may have been missing from the Internet world, but we were busy planning out 2012 and all the new and improved ways we can support the In Stepps families and our local community. We have a lot of cool things in the works right now, and we are anxious to share them with you and your family. Keep an eye out for new updates by checking the blog often or following us on Facebook. Just "like" our Facebook page and get In Stepps news, updates, resources, and more directly into your news feed.

First and foremost: mark your calendars, save the date! We have some events coming up:
January 27th will be our next Parent's Night Out. If you haven't joined us before or are curious about what this fun night is all about you can check out our previous blog that includes some helpful information. Please sign up by January 20th to allow us to plan staff and supplies accordingly. 
March 10th will be our First Annual In Stepps Open House! We are very excited about this awesome event and can't wait to share the details with you. There will be food, games, family activities, and much more. Stay tuned and keep your eye out for an invitation flyer.

Our In Stepps office has expanded! This means we have much more space to accommodate in-office events such as PNO, social skills, workshops, and training. Hip hip hooray! Be sure to update your records with our new address: 18008 Sky Park Circle Suite 110, Irvine, 92614. Our new space also means a new entrance since we have moved everything around. Access our new suite by using the entrance located on the right side of the building (there is plenty of parking located by the new entrance). Just remember: same building, same floor.... but new door! Adriana will be there to greet you in our new waiting area so stop by and visit soon!

A few weeks ago, our entire staff got together for a holiday party. It was a blast and such a great opportunity to get everyone in the same place for a night to honor such a wonderful 2011 and toast to a fantastic team! Check out some pictures below.

 

And last but certainly not least....we have a new In Stepps Star! Is it your favorite therapist? Parent Consultant? Supervisor? You'll have to check back to find out next time!

We are looking forward to all that is in store for In Stepps in 2012! Thank you for your continued support and feedback. We love hearing from you so feel free to email us, leave a comment on Facebook or our blog, or stop by and see us!